Charging car for coke ovens

ABSTRACT

A charging car for coke ovens of the type in which coke is conveyed through feed pipes into holes extending through the tops of the ovens, characterized in that covers can be removed from the holes, coal charged into the ovens and the covers replaced without permitting the escape of dust and smoke into the atmosphere. This is accomplished in accordance with the invention by means of gripping devices which can be lowered within the feed pipes themselves to grip the charge hole covers and elevate them within the feed pipes to a point where they will not interfere with the discharge of coal from the car into the ovens. After the coal is charged into the oven, the feed-hole cover, still gripped by the gripping device, is lowered within the feed pipe to the point where it again seals the charge hole but before the feed pipe is removed.

[ 1 July 11,1972

2,075,931 4/1937 Eades................................214/18PH FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [54] CHARGING CAR FOR COKE OVENS [72] Inventor: Erich E. W. Pries, Bochum, Germany 1 Assisneer 2 & Bochum, 971,533 9/1964 Great Britain.................2l4/l8 PH ermany 22 Filed; Aug 5 1970 Primary Examiner-Gerlad M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Jerold M. Forsberg [21] App1.No.: 61,166

Attorney-Brown, Murray, Flick & Peckham [30] Foreign Application Priority Data ABSTRACT A charging car for coke ovens of the type in which coke is Feb. 26, 1970 Germany 20 09 017.9 conveyed through feed p p into holes extending through the tops of the ovens, characterized in that covers can be removed [52] U.S.Cl..........................2l4/3511,214/18 PH, 202/263, from the holes coal charged into the ovens and the covers 212/4 replaced without permitting the escape of dust and smoke into the atmosphere. This is accomplished in accordance with the invention by means of gripping devices which can be lowered 3 8 N2 k ,1 n w 2 M2 01 B 4 51 A H/ PP 002 H 4 [58] Field of within the feed pipes themselves to grip the charge hole covers and elevate them within the feed pipes to a point where they will not interfere with the discharge of coal from the car into UNITED STATES PATENTS the ovens. After the coal is charged into the oven, the feedhole cover, still gripped by the gripping device, is lowered 214/18 PH within the feed pipe to the point where it again seals the PH charge hole but before the feed pipe is removed. ......202/263 X Belcher..............................141/3l2 X 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 3,036,720 5/1962 Malkomes 2,981,423 4/1961 Randell et a1...

3,368,948 2/1968 Meunier et 2,234,951 3/1941 PATENTEUJUL 11 m2 3, 675.797

SHEET 1 or 3 INVENTOR ER/CH E. W PR/ES A Horneys CHARGING CAR FOR COKE OVENS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Copending application Ser. No. 61,167, filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the Assignee of the present application (70417 German application P 20 09 300.9).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the usual coke oven, coal to be coked is discharged from a number of hoppers carried on a charging car into a corresponding number of holes or openings in the oven roof, from whence the coal falls down into the heated oven. The charging car travels on rails mounted on the roofs of adjacent ovens such that it can travel from a storage area where coal is charged into the bins carried on the charging car to the desired set of holes or openings in the top of a selected oven.

The charge holes in the oven roof are closed by covers to prevent the escape of smoke, dust and the gases which are distilled to produce coal by-products. In prior art coal charging systems for coke ovens, feed pipes connected to the bottoms of the coal bins on the charging car are placed over the openings in the oven roof after removal of the covers. After charging the oven with coal, the feed pipes are then raised, and the charge holes are again closed by the covers. During the charging of the coal and until the tight replacing of the covers, charging gases and dust which can cause pollution of the air escape. In an effort to eliminate this condition, special exhaust and cleaning systems have been provided for collecting the gases and dust which escape while the covers are removed; however such systems are relatively expensive and only partially remedy the charging gas problem.

Attempts have also been made to exhaust the charging gases which are released during the charging of the coal into the main gas off-take of the oven, supported by an ejector. After charging, a feed pipe is first removed at one charging hole and the cover replaced for that hole. This process is then repeated at the other charge holes one after the other. The process is predicated upon the assumption that enough charging gas will be exhausted into the take-off by the ejector such that a single charge hole can be kept open without having substantial gas escape into the atmosphere. This process is also cumbersome, time consuming and only partially effective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As an overall object, the present invention seeks to provide a new and improved charging car for a coke oven which facilitates charging of coal into the coke oven without permitting pollution of the air, while at the same time being relatively inexpensive and simple.

Another object of the invention is to provide a charging car for coke ovens of the type described wherein a feed pipe is placed over a charging hole in the top of a coke oven; a charging hole cover is removed within the feed pipe; coal is charged into the oven; and the cover, still within the feed pipe, is then replaced. Sufficient coal is left in the charging car above the feed pipe at the completion of the charging operation to prevent the escape of pollutants into the air during the time that the charging cover is being replaced.

According to the invention, a charging car for coke ovens is provided having feed pipes which are placed over the oven roof and provided with lower sleeves which can be moved downwardly to surround the seat of the charge hole cover so that a gas-tight closure is formed. Preferably, the gripping device comprises an electromagnet which engages and is attracted to the charge hole cover formed from a magnetically permeable material.

In the operation of the system, the charging car is moved over a charging hole and the sleeve on the lower end of the feed pipe is lowered such that it surrounds the charge hole cover. Thereafter, the aforesaid gripping device is caused to move downwardly within the feed pipe until it engages the charge hole cover, whereupon the electromagnet is energized and the gripping device elevated to remove the charge hole cover from the charge opening in the top of the oven. During this time, however, the charge hole is completely surrounded by the feed pipe and the sleeve at the bottom thereof; and the discharge of pollutants into the air is prevented by the coal in a bin carried on the charginG car.

The gripping device, which now carries the charge hole cover, is elevated in the feed pipe to a point where it will not interfere with the discharge of coal from the bin into the oven. At this point, the coal is discharged from the bin and through the feed pipe and the charge opening into the coke oven. The feed of coal into the oven, however, is stopped before all of the coal is discharged from the bin to prevent the discharge of pollutants through the bin. Finally, with the discharge of coal stopped and the feed pipe still in position above the charging hole, the gripping device and the charge hole cover are lowered within the feed pipe to the point where the charge hole cover is again seated within the charging hole. The foregoing process takes place simultaneously at all the charge holes of an oven chamber. When all of the charge hole covers have been replaced, the sleeves of all of the feed pipes can be raised, and the charging car moved to another position.

If there is no mechanical conveyor for the transport of the coal from the bins on the charging car into the feed pipes, the coal drops due to its gravity. In this case, the bin is closed by a bell which can be raised and lowered with respect to the feed pipe. A vertically reciprocal rod which carries the gripping device is directed through the bell in such a manner that the gripping device rests on the underside of the bell in its highest position. With this type of construction, the sleeve of the feed pipe is placed over a charge hole after the charging car has been moved into the correct position with a closed bell. Then the charge hole cover is lifted by raising the gripping element to the point where it comes to rest under the bell. Then it, together with the gripping device which is under it, are raised and the flow of coal is released. If charging has been completed, the bell is lowered into the closing position. In this respect, it is essential that a residual quantity of coal remainin the bin above the bell at the end of the charging process so as to produce a gas-tight closure. After the bell has been lowered into the closing position, the charge hole cover is lowered by means of the gripping device and the charge hole is closed. After it has released the cover, the gripping device is raised as is the sleeve of the feed pipe in order to complete the process.

In order to make certain that the coal which drops within the feed pipe does not fall near the periphery of the charge hole to make a tight closure of the oven chamber by means of the replaced charge hole cover difficult, a discharge funnel which can be raised and lowered is provided within each feed pipe according to another characteristic of the invention. In its lowered position, it assumes the shape of a truncated cone which tapers downwardly and rests with its lower edge' on the periphery of the charge hole. In its raised position, it must expand, which is necessary for the vertical path of the charge hole cover which is grasped by the gripping device. In order to satisfy these requirements, the discharge funnel is designed as the jacket of a truncated cone and consists of several sections which are divided by vertical spaces connected to each other only at the upper circular edge thereof.

Means must be provided to insure that the sections of the discharge funnel which hang down vertically in the raised state come into a sloping position when they assume the shape of a truncated cone. Accordingly, guide elements are arranged on the inner wall of the feed pipe and project inwardly in the form of wedges such that when the sections of the discharge funnel move downwardly, they also move inwardly to form a truncated cone.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The above and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a coke oven charging car which can be moved back and forth on tracks mounted on a coke oven roof. A single charge hole and feed pipe are shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, of certain details of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the feed pipe and its associated parts;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section corresponding to FIG. 2 and showing a charging car provided with a vibrating trough which conveys coal from a bin to the feed pipe; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 but showing an embodiment of the invention in which the bin of the charging car is sealed by a bell during raising of the charge hole cover.

With reference now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a coke oven roof 16 is shown. Provided in the roof 16 is a charging hole 17 through which coal is charged into the coke oven chamber. Each oven chamber has several such charge holes which are located one behind the other transversely across the chamber. Only one charge hole 17 is shown in the drawings, it being understood that there are other charge holes aligned therewith.

During the operation of the oven, each charge hole 17 is closed by a charge hole cover which rests on a beveled surface 7 of a metal charge hole frame 8. In FIGS. 24, the charge hole cover is shown in its seated position in broken lines and identified as 5a. The charging car is represented in overall height in FIG. 1 and runs on wheeled trucks 25 and 26 movable over tracks 27 laid on the oven roof 16. A number of bins 1 which correspond to the number of charge holes 17 for each oven is provided on each charging car. The bins 1 are provided with outlets from which coal is directed into a feed pipe 2. At the bottom of each feed pipe 2 is a cylindrical sleeve 3 which can be raised or lowered in a manner hereinafter described. Each sleeve is provided with an annular flange at its lower edge which rests on the charge hole frame 8 when lowered. In all figures, the sleeve 3 is shown in its lowered state.

The means by which the sleeve 3 can be lowered and raised is shown in FIG. 1. Brackets 28 are secured to the sides of the sleeve 3 and are pivotally connected to rods 29. The upper ends of the rods 29, in turn, are connected to levers 30 which are controlled by a gear, not shown, at their inner ends. This gear, in turn, is rotated to rotate levers'30 and raise or lower the sleeve 3 by means of a rod 31 pivotally connected to the charging car at 32.

In order to raise or lower the charge hole cover 5, a gripping device 4 is provided which is preferably an electromagnet. The gripping device 4, in turn, can be raised and lowered within the feed pipe 2 by means of a vertical rod 24. The rod 24 passes between friction rollers 33 which are provided with a drive, not shown, and which act on the rod 24 to raise or lower it, together with the gripping device 4. As will be understood, the gripping device 4, being an electromagnet, can be energized by electrical circuitry, not shown, when in its lowermost position to become engaged with the charge hole cover 5. Thereafter, when the rod 24 is elevated by the friction rollers 33, the gripping device 4 will carry the charge hole cover upwardly therewith.

The conveying of coal into the outlet 15 and the feed pipe 2 is accomplished in the arrangement of FIG. 2 by means of a turntable 22 driven by suitable rotary drive means. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, on the other hand, the conveying of coal takes place by means of a vibrating trough 23, all in ac cordance with usual practice. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, on the other hand, the bin 1 which contains coal to be charged into the oven, has a bottom in the form of a truncated cone. The opening at the bottom of this cone can be closed by means of a conical hell or hood, generally indicated by the reference numeral 14 and hereinafter described in greater detail.

In order that the coal will be discharged into the charge opening 17 without an excessive accumulation around the periphery of the charge opening, a discharge funnel 6 is provided within the feed pipe 2. In the drawings, the solid lines show the funnel 6 in its lowered position while the broken lines, identified by the reference numeral 6a, show it in its elevated position. Each of these funnels 6 consists of four vertical parts 21 which are separated from each other by vertical spaces 18 tapered outwardly as they progress downwardly. In the lowered position shown in full ines, the parts 21 form a truncated cone with the spaces 18 closed and the lower edge 20 of the cone resting on the beveled sealing surface 7 of the charge hole frame 8. In the raised position, identified as 6a, the vertical parts 21 hang down loosely. An elevating device, not shown, is connected to the upper edge 19 of the discharge funnel 6 for the purpose of moving the vertical parts 21 upwardly or downwardly. Sealing elements 12 are provided between the upper edge 19 of the vertical parts 21 and the inner wall of sleeve 3. They insure that the falling coal will not drop into the circular space 9 which remains between the feed pipe 2 and the discharge funnel 6. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, guide elements which are designed as wedges 10 are provided on the inner wall of the feed pipe 2. These act to move the parts 21 of the discharge funnel 6 inwardly during lowering whereby they become interlocked to form a truncated cone in the lowermost position with the lower edge 20 resting on the sloping face 7 of the sealing frame 8.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, on the other hand, the inward motion of the parts 21 is accomplished by means of pressure pins 11 which are pressed inwardly, for example, by means of compressed air cylinders or springs which force parts 21 of the discharge funnel 6 into the necessary sloping position. Their actuation preferably occurs automatically in connection with the lowering motion of the discharge funnel, the actuating and control means being absent from the present disclosure but are within the skill of the art.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a rod 24 which carries at its lower end the gripping device 4 passes through a coneshaped bell 14. As can be seen, the gripping device 4 engages the underside of the hood 14 in the raised position.

Sensing elements which sense if the level of the coal in the charging bin 1 drops below a predetermined level are identified by the reference numeral 13 in FIGS. 2-4. The sensing elements 13, in turn, are connected to electrical circuitry which, in turn, controls lowering of the bell 14 in the embodiment of FIG. 4, stopping of the turntable 22 in the embodiment of FIG. 2 or stopping of the vibrating trough 23 in FIG. 3.

In the operation of the invention, the sleeve 3 for each feed pipe 2 is lowered first. Then the charge hole cover 5 is raised by means of the gripping element 4 and the discharge funnel 6 is lowered. Now either the mechanical conveying device (turntable 22 of FIG. 2 or vibrating trough 23 of FIG. 3) is actuated; or in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the bell 14 is raised. This permits coal to be charged into the oven. After the completion of charging, the escape of gases into the atmosphere is prevented initially by the coal which is still in the bin 1. That is, when the level of the coal reaches the sensing elements 13, the charging process is stopped. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3, turntable 22 or vibrating trough 23 is stopped. Thereafter, the discharge funnel 6 is elevated, the gripping element 4 is lowered onto the charge hole cover by means of the rod 24, and the electromagnet on the gripping element deenergized to permit the charge hole cover 5 to remain in place.

During the period that the charge hole covers 5 are lifted from the charge holes and the coal begins to fall into the oven, gases which are accompanied by large quantities of dust form due to the sudden heating of the charged coal. These so-called charging gases can be exhausted by providing a strong suction in the uptake which leads the off-take main of the ovens. In this case, the fact that the predominant part of the charging gases reaches the off-take main where the dust component is precipitated and the gases mixed with other distillation gas is taken into consideration. However, suction devices for charging gases can also be placed on the charging car itself Such suction devices are indicated in FIG. 1 by a suction tube 35 which is connected to a circular area 34 surrounding feed pipe 2. One or several of these suction tubes 35 are connected to a blower 36 and filter 37. From the filter 37, the gases are discharged into the atmosphere.

Although the invention has been shown in connection with certain specific embodiments, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and arrangement of parts may be made to suit requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim as my invention:

1. In a charging car for coke ovens or the like of the type in which granular material in a bin carried on the charging car is discharged into a coke oven through a charge hole in the oven roof; the combination of a feed pipe for conveying coal from said bin to the charge hole, a sleeve element surrounding said feed pipe and reciprocable'from an upper position where it is disengaged from the oven roof to a lower position where it engages an area of the roof around the charge hole, said charge hole having a beveled surface extending around its upper periphery, a gripping element for engaging and elevating a charge hole cover normally positioned over said charge hole and resting on said beveled surface, means adapted to move said gripping element downwardly through said feed pipe and sleeve to engage said charge hole cover and elevate it within the feed pipe to a point to permit coal from said bin to fall through said feed pipe into said charge hole, and a discharge funnel reciprocable within said feed pipe and having a lower edge which can be moved into abutment with said beveled surface to prevent coal passing through said feed pipe from collecting around the charge hole, said discharge funnel having an upper outer peripheral surface in sliding engagement with the inner periphery of the feed pipe.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bin is directly above said feed pipe and is provided with a funnel-shaped bot tom which discharges into the feed pipe, and including an inverted cone-shaped bell within the bin and movable from a lower position where it closes an opening between said bin and said feed pipe to an upper position where it permits granular material to fall from the bin into the feed pipe, said gripping element being carried on a rod which passes through said cone-shaped bell such that when the rod and gripping device are elevated the gripping device will be beneath said bell.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said discharge funnel comprising a plurality of actuate segments which form a truncated cone when the discharge funnel is in its lowered position and which separate to permit passage therethrough of said gripping element and a charge hole cover carried thereby when in its elevated position.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said arcuate segments are separated by vertical spaces when the discharge funnel is in its elevated position, said arcuate segments being connected to each other only at the upper edges thereof.

5. The combination of claim 4 including cam means arranged on the inner wall of said feed pipe for causing said arcuate segments of the discharge funnel to move inwardly upon lowering of the discharge funnel to form a truncated coneshaped funnel with its lower edge resting on the periphery of said charging hole.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein the means for lowering and elevating said gripping element through said sleeve comprises a rod connected to said gripping element, and means for vertically reciprocating said rod.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said gripping element comprises an electromagnet and said charge hole cover is formed from magnetically permeable material whereby the electromagnet, upon engaging said charge hole cover, can be energized to attract the charge hole cover or deenergized to release it. 

1. In a charging car for coke ovens or the like of the type in which granular material in a bin carried on the charging car is discharged into a coke oven through a charge hole in the oven roof; the combination of a feed pipe for conveying coal from said bin to the charge hole, a sleeve element surrounding said feed pipe and reciprocable from an upper position where it is disengaged from the oven roof to a lower position where it engages an area of the roof around the charge hole, said charge hole having a beveled surface extending around its upper periphery, a gripping element for engaging and elevating a charge hole cover normally positioned over said charge hole and resting on said beveled surface, means adapted to move said gripping element downwardly through said feed pipe and sleeve to engage said charge hole cover and elevate it within the feed pipe to a point to permit coal from said bin to fall through said feed pipe into said charge hole, and a dischaRge funnel reciprocable within said feed pipe and having a lower edge which can be moved into abutment with said beveled surface to prevent coal passing through said feed pipe from collecting around the charge hole, said discharge funnel having an upper outer peripheral surface in sliding engagement with the inner periphery of the feed pipe.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bin is directly above said feed pipe and is provided with a funnel-shaped bottom which discharges into the feed pipe, and including an inverted cone-shaped bell within the bin and movable from a lower position where it closes an opening between said bin and said feed pipe to an upper position where it permits granular material to fall from the bin into the feed pipe, said gripping element being carried on a rod which passes through said cone-shaped bell such that when the rod and gripping device are elevated the gripping device will be beneath said bell.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said discharge funnel comprising a plurality of actuate segments which form a truncated cone when the discharge funnel is in its lowered position and which separate to permit passage therethrough of said gripping element and a charge hole cover carried thereby when in its elevated position.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said arcuate segments are separated by vertical spaces when the discharge funnel is in its elevated position, said arcuate segments being connected to each other only at the upper edges thereof.
 5. The combination of claim 4 including cam means arranged on the inner wall of said feed pipe for causing said arcuate segments of the discharge funnel to move inwardly upon lowering of the discharge funnel to form a truncated cone-shaped funnel with its lower edge resting on the periphery of said charging hole.
 6. The combination of claim 1 wherein the means for lowering and elevating said gripping element through said sleeve comprises a rod connected to said gripping element, and means for vertically reciprocating said rod.
 7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said gripping element comprises an electromagnet and said charge hole cover is formed from magnetically permeable material whereby the electromagnet, upon engaging said charge hole cover, can be energized to attract the charge hole cover or deenergized to release it. 